Summer Reading Vol. 3: Setting Sail.... and Hoping not to Bail!

What do you get when you take an old plastic bottle, add some rice, a pencil and a piece of craft foam?? A super duper boat, of course? We greatly enjoyed reading My Blue Boat by Chris Demarist - another fantastic summertime tale of imagination and adventure. Told in short sentences but introducing such rich vocabulary as swells, fleet, and harbor, we read the story several times before we were able to imagine ourselves sailing away from home to a world of water wonder.

Both Gavin and Ivy enjoyed creating their own toy boats. Ivy loved dumping and pouring the rice and listening to the music as her bottle filled and was emptied again. Shortly after finishing her boat, she dunked the whole vessel under the pool water and it was clear that the making was much more interesting than the playing. She quickly abandoned her boat to pour and dump more rice and then fill up other deck toys with water. I love to see what interests her - such a beautiful season of exploration and engagement.






The boat was such a simple craft, and one with a strong purpose. I have found Gavin is a bit pragmatic - if he is going to invest time into something (like craft projects) he wants it to be something, or do something. Tying some fishing line onto the boat made it a sea worthy vessel, one that almost visited our pond out back... until Daddy had a better idea. Why not take the boy out for his first solo canoe trip?



With Grandpa and Daddy close at hand, Gavin boarded his own canoe. He listened to explicit directions being commanded - and followed them like a true mate. He paddled out alone, and when the wind caught the front of the vessel, he did his best to dig in and turn the craft around. With encouragement and praise, Gavin thrived in the independence - and it was a joy to behold. Watching Mike beam, Grandpa grow proud and Gavin's smile widen, I knew today was special. On one hand, I love that Gavin is mature and responsible and ready to take big boy steps... while on the other hand, I still want to cuddle and carry, and savor his tininess. Perhaps that is one reason why we read and re-read (and snuggle with) books like My Blue Boat. We are taking the plunge of life together - and are blessed each day as the Lord takes us to new places.